Where He Went
by Ageless Writer
Summary: Trent's been out of Team Gibbs's hair for over a year now, not that anyone's complaining or anything. However, what happens when a case leads the team to Oxford, North Carolina, the team sees a familiar face in the crowds. Trent's. But who's that with him? And why are they with him? T to be safe.
1. Prologue

**Where He Went**

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever own NCIS or any other show that may have a character or two show up.**

**A/N: I am going to apologize ahead of time in case my computer screws up my words. It does that sometimes. Anyway, without further adieu...**

Prologue:Leaving

Trent Kort slipped away from everyone after he came to at autopsy in NCIS headquarters. It was easy for him to do despite his vision not being at its best since the whole "eye" incident.

His phone rang as he entered the parking lot and he swore softly when he looked at the caller ID. " 'Ello... Agent Kort speaking."he answered. The man on the other line laughed softly.

"I was almost worried you wouldn't answer Kort. Been trying to get a hold of you for sometime.. Come down to Langley. We have some things to discuss. Sometime tonight would be nice."the man said. Trent sighed, almost fearing what was to come.

"Yes, Director. I'll be there soon." the Brit told his boss before hanging up. This wasn't going to end well. He could feel it in his gut. Trent smirked for a moment. _His_ gut. He'd been spending way to much time around Gibbs...

About an hour and a half later, Trent Kort was in the Director of the CIA's office. The older man looked at Trent. "Agent Kort, seeing your failure with Project Cobb, we have come up with two solutions to our problems."he claimed. Trent sighed and looked at his boss with his one good eye.

"And just what would those solutions be Director? Or are you going to fill me in?"the Brit asked.

"I'm filling you in right now Mr. Kort. Solution One is that we send you and Agent Cruz to Tel Aviv and see which one of you makes it back alive."

"And the other 'solution'?"Trent asked, not willing to risk his life anymore.

"You go into a nice and early retirement and stay low unless we need you anymore. We'' even let you pick where you want to be dropped off and what new career you would like to have. Won't even have to change your name. Well, depending on where it is you're wanting to go..."the director explained. Trent smiled for the first time that night.

"Solution Two."Trent stated.

"Okay. Any place in mind you want to live?"

"Oxford, North Carolina."Trent responded without even thinking about it. The older man nodded and they began working out the bugs before their agreement was signed...

Gibbs sanded down the coffin sides before Mike Franks's funeral. Ever so often, he'd glance at the door. Waiting. By now one of his coworkers should have been there. Someone should have been. The case was extremely difficult for all of them. Tony and Ziva especially seemed affected. So why had no one showed? He sighed and continued when his front door opened and footsteps were heard coming down the steps. Gibbs glanced up to see Trent Kort walking down.

"Expecting to see someone else Gibbs? Sorry to disappoint."the younger man remarked sarcastically. Gibbs rolled his eyes.

"I see you're feeling better. Your usual wit has returned. That is, if you could even call it wit."Gibbs retorted. Trent chuckled.

"I see you're still taking classes at that charm school. Wish I could join."the Brit responded, not missing a beat.

The two sat in silence for a little while before it became to much. Gibbs knew Kort, knew him well enough to know something was up. And since he was in Gibbs's basement, that meant that it could concern him and his team.

"Out with it Kort. What're you doin' here?"Trent sighed.

"I'm leaving. And I thought you should know that Operation Frankenstein has been disbanded again."Trent told the other man before turning to leave.

"Why did you even join that program anyway? From what I've heard about you, you don't condone torture."Gibbs asked. He noted how the younger man winced slightly.

"Between you and me, Gibbs... The only reason I took that up because the CIA threatened people that I care about. And I would rather die than see any of the thugs in the CIA touch them."that was the last sentence spoken between them before Trent left...


	2. Chapter 1:Several Months Later

**Where He Went**

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever own NCIS or any other show that may have a character or two show up.**

**A/N: I am going to apologize ahead of time in case my computer screws up my words. It does that sometimes. Anyway, without further adieu... I would also like to warn against possible OOCness... Though I wouldn't really call it that for Trent because we don't see him often enough to know... But just in case, that's a warning. One more thing, Corey is between three and four years old, which is why he doesn't talk exactly right.**

**Chapter One**:**A Several Months Later**

Trent woke up, feeling the warm presence beside him before he even opened his eyes. He smiled and opened them carefully, his vision blurred at first from sleep. As it cleared up, he could see the woman lying beside him, still fast asleep. Trent grinned and kissed her cheek, chuckling when she swatted at him. "Leave me alone. Tired."she told him, her voice heavy laden with sleep. He rolled his eye and raised up, finally realizing just how cold it was.

He went over to her side of the bed. "Casey. Casey. Love. Wake up, Dear."Trent began waking her up. She swore.

"Don't you know it's Saturday, Trent? I'm exhausted. Lemme sleep."Casey pleaded, opening her eyes to look into his. He kissed her cheek.

"Just wanted to have your input about breakfast before the kids got up."the Brit told her. She sighed.

"Pancakes...? You make them so well."Casey complimented him. He nodded.

"That's all I wanted to know. Sleep. I'll wake you when breakfast is done."Trent told her, watching her lay completely back down and doze off. He smiled and walked down the stairs into the kitchen.

Cooking had been his passion at one time or another, and now he could indulge his family with his skill. He began getting out the ingredients and utensils he'd need for the pancakes. About the time he had everything out, he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. He didn't have to look up to know who it was. "Good morning, Corey. Sleep well?"he asked, finally glancing up to see the little boy coming into the kitchen.

"Wes sir. I swept good, Daddy."Corey greeted. He looked up at his father. "Can I help?"he asked. Trent smiled and nodded.

"Of course, Little Man. C'mere."Trent picked the young boy up and set him down on the counter top. "I'll put the ingredients in the bowl and you can stir them together with this."he handed Corey a whisk and set a bowl down beside him. The boy smiled and nodded.

"Otay, Daddy."

About thirty minutes later, the pancakes were done and laying out to cool. Trent helped Corey down from the counter. "Corey. Why don't you go wake up your brother and sister, while I go wake up your mother? By the time we get back, the pancakes will be ready to eat."he said, smiling. Corey smiled.

"Otay."he answered. The two went up the stairs, but into different rooms.

Trent walked into his and Casey's room. "Rise and shine, Beautiful. Breakfast is done and ready to eat."he told her.

"M'kay. I'll be down shortly."she waved him off. Trent rolled his eye again and walked downstairs.

Tony walked down the steps into Gibbs's basement. "I think Cruz killed Kort. Back in Tel Aviv."the Italian admitted. Gibbs stopped sanding his newest boat, the _Samantha_.

"Really DiNozzo? Who told you that?"the older man asked, looking at his senior field agent.

"Well... Ziva said something about CI-Ray needing to put down another agent there. We saw him so he obviously lived. Kort hasn't harassed us in awhile... So, I put two and two together..."Tony began. Gibbs shook his head.

"I doubt he's dead DiNozzo. He may be laying low... But he's not dead. He can't be. He's too annoying and too smart to have just died. I'm more worried Forenell. I haven't heard from him since our incident with Diane.. And believe me, DiNozzo, that woman is capable of anything..."Gibbs said, fighting the smirk as he remembered how Tobias found out about Diane's infidelity when they were married, how mad he was.

"Guess you're right Boss... Goodnight..."Tony said, turning to leave.

"Wait, why are you worried about Kort? Does he owe you money or something?"Gibbs asked, curious. Tony thought about it.

"Now that you mention it Boss... He does owe me money for blowing up my car. About forty-thousand dollars. Plus another ten grand for emotional distress..."Tony began rattling on, and Gibbs immediately regretted saying anything to the Italian man.


	3. Chapter 2:It Begins

**Where He Went**

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever own NCIS or any other show that may have a character or two show up.**

**A/N: I am going to apologize ahead of time in case my computer screws up my words. It does that sometimes. Anyway, without further adieu... I would also like to warn against possible OOCness... Though I wouldn't really call it that for Trent because we don't see him often enough to know... But just in case, that's a warning. One more thing, Corey is between three and four years old, which is why he doesn't talk exactly right.**

**Chapter Two**:**It Begins**

Trent was helping Corey get his pancakes onto a plate when he heard footsteps. He turned and saw Casey walking in, still half-asleep. "Coffee, Dear?"he asked. She glared at him.

"We've been married for eighteen years and you still forget that I hate coffee."she shook her head. Trent smiled sheepishly.

"Guess I'm still half-asleep too..."he looked around, then at Corey. "Thought you told the others that breakfast was done."

"I did, Daddy. Fhey not wake up."Corey told him, looking down. Casey kissed the top of his head.

"It's okay, Corey. I'll go wake them up."she started up the stairs. Trent shook his head.

"This isn't going to end well..."he sighed and looked at the little boy. "So, what syrup do you want on your pancakes? Chocolate or maple?"Corey smiled.

"Coco!"the boy exclaimed, not quite able to say 'chocolate' just yet. Trent nodded and got the syrup, spreading on the boy's pancakes, smiling when he saw the latter's blue eyes get wide with excitement.

"There. That's enough. Any more and I'd be in trouble with Momma. And I really don't need to be in trouble first thing of a morning."Corey giggled.

"Whateber you say, Daddy."

Trent heard footsteps coming down the stairs again. He glanced up and caught a glimpse of the first coming in. "Yes! Dad, cooked pancakes!"Dakota, 8, called; grabbing a plate for himself. Trent shook his head, amused.

"I'm glad someone appreciates my cooking."Trent replied, getting his own plate. Dakota smiled and hugged his dad one-armed before going to take his seat.

"Well I feel loved, Daddy. I always love your cooking."a slightly accented voice taunted. He glanced over and saw Carter getting her plate, her brown hair sticking up at all ends from sleeping. He snickered.

"What happened to your hair, Carter? Did you play with electric sockets again?"Trent asked, receiving a death glare that he only thought his wife had mastered. He swallowed hard.

"I didn't sleep well. Okay?"she quipped, her accent even more prominent now. She went to sit in her place at the table. She looked over at her brothers. "And the next person who makes fun of my hair will get stabbed with my fork."she threatened. Trent shook his head, glancing at Casey.

"She is definitely your daughter, Casey."he told her. Casey shook her head, sitting down beside him.

"Carter gets that from you."she argued, kissing his cheek. Carter rolled her eyes.

"I can hear you still, you know?"Carter reminded them. Trent smirked.

"Yes, Dove. We know."Trent let her know. She shook her head and Trent looked at his wife. "Okay.. Maybe she does take more after me..."Casey smirked.

"Told ya so."

Breakfast was finished quickly and Casey was helping Trent with the dishes. Carter walked up to them. "Don't forget you promised that I could have two of my friends spend the night next weekend for my birthday."the girl said. Trent sighed.

"How old are you turning again?"he asked. She smirked.

"Daddy, I'm turning thirteen. Remember?"Carter explained. He groaned and turned to Casey.

"I thought we agreed we weren't letting her age past eight."he shook his head. Carter pouted sympathetically and took her father's hand, patting it.

"There, there. Shh... It's okay, Daddy. I'm only turning thirteen. Nothing major right now. It's two years from now you'll need to worry about."she soothed. Casey looked at her daughter, confused.

"Why in two years should he be worried?"

"Because I'll be fifteen and eligible for my learner's permit, which means I'll be able to drive more or less."Trent groaned again and shook his head, thinking of how old he was getting. Carter hugged her dad.

"It's okay, Daddy... It's okay.."she soothed again. Casey, shook her head, bemused. Her cell rang and she went to answer it, hanging up not long after. Carter looked at her mother. "Gotta case, Momma?"

"Unfortunately. There's no rest for the wicked however... And I have a sworn duty to do."Casey explained, going upstairs to change clothes. Trent sighed, hugging his daughter.

"We'll be fine here. Right Carter?"he asked. His daughter nodded.

"For now anyway..."

Casey arrived at the scene, Oxford Parks, her partner waving her over to where he was. "So what's the theory, David?"she asked, looking over the scene.

"Looks like it could be a murder suicide, or a robbery gone wrong. The man over here has a gun shot to the head, woman has what looks like a bullet in the chest."David explained as he examined over.

"Anything missing? Money, credit cards, jewelry?"Casey asked, hoping for an open and shut case so she could be back with her family.

"Woman has her ears pierced, but we haven't found any earrings around, but both wallets still have their money, but no cards or drivers license."

"So we have a Jane and John Doe? Great... That makes things soooo much easier."Casey retorted, her voice dripping in sarcasm.

"Hey, don't get ill with me. I didn't kill them. I'd rather be at home right now. It was my weekend to have Greg and I had to call and tell Kelly I couldn't keep him because of this case."David ranted. Casey sighed.

"And I would rather be curled up beside Trent and the kids on the couch. But, I guess the universe had other plans..."she relented, going over the entire scene, bagging up everything that could be evidence. David snapped crime scene photos. A normal routine for the two of them.

The M.E's van arrived, picking up and signing for the bodies. The two detectives decided that they had enough evidence and took them down to the forensics office before going to the police station. Their chief was already waiting for them.

"I need to know what's going on in this case. Do we have any way to identify the couple?"Chief Walsh asked.

"Not yet. The bodies just went to Tina's autopsy. If anyone could ID them, it's her. And if she can't, Winston is working on the forensics and may find their prints somewhere."David stated.

"I can't have an investigation going on maybes Detective Martin."Walsh dictated.

"I'll show their photos around town. Someone should be able to identify them."Casey said, taking the camera from David and find the pictures of the couple to print out.

"Okay. And what about you, Martin?"

"I'll make calls to see if there are any security cameras at the park I could use to find our killer. Hey, Case, stop back by the scene and see if anyone there knew if they were staying at camp grounds or not."David asked. Casey nodded and grabbed her coat and the photos, leaving...

Gibbs had finally gotten rid of DiNozzo and could spend his Saturday working on his boat in peace. Peace. That was what he and the team needed after what happened with Mr. Dearing and Ducky's heart attack. He sighed, remembering.

Tony and Ziva were more or less fine. A few bruises here and there from the elevator falling. That was all the sustained from the blasts. Abby was okay, he had shielded her. But when he put himself over her, it caused him to break her leg. But she was still cleared for work because she wasn't in the field. Gibbs himself was injured. Glass from Abby's windows had cut into his back when he shielded her. But they didn't bother him anymore. McGee had a broke arm, but Gibbs knew he could still do the computer stuff if he needed to. Ducky was still on sick leave from from his heart attack. Vance wanted to be sure that the elderly man would be fine before coming back to work. But that didn't stop Ducky from staying over at NCIS to "observe'.

The building changed too. Not by much though. Abby's lab just had new windows set up and the elevators were replaced. That was it for them. The bullpen was kept as it always was, but now instead of being that awful orange color, it was a navy blue.

But none of the changes made anything really better for the team. They caught Dearing. And he had an "accident" in a holding cell that killed him. Sure that was great, but the team still needed all the relaxation they could have...

However, life always has another plan.

His phone went off in the quirky little ring-tone Abby had set up for him and would not take off. He scowled and answered, "hello? Yes. Alright. Thanks." He hung up and called Tony, telling him about the case and to call the others. He left, taking on last look at the half-built boat.

"I can't believe we got a call out. On a Saturday. A Saturday!"Tony was fuming as he snapped the photos. He felt something hit the back of his head, hard. "Ow."he squeaked.

"Back to work DiNozzo. And stop complaining. We've had cases on Saturdays before. Sundays and holidays too."Gibbs barked, going over to Palmer. "What do you got Palmer?"he asked.

Jimmy Palmer glanced up from the man in the Marine Dress Blues uniform, still slightly shaken at his new role on team. Though he knew it was only temporary, as Dr. Mallard would be back as soon as he was fully healed. "Um... Not much I'm afraid, Gibbs. Whoever did this was meticulous. Making sure to clean the body and I bet he wore gloves whenever he touched anything. But it seems as though the man died of a shot to the chest. I'm afraid to say I won't know more until I can get him into autopsy."Tony came up to them.

"So who is he, Autopsy Gremlin?"Tony asked. Palmer looked down, sheepish.

"I'm not sure... He didn't have any ID on him."Tony nodded and looked to where Ziva was.

"Hey Ziva! Bring that fancy finger-scanner McGeek usually uses!"he called. The former Mossad officer nodded and walked over, taking the man's hand and pressed a finger on the scanner. She frowned and swore.

"What is it Da-veed?"Gibbs asked, stretching out her last night.

"He has no finger print whatsoever. I can't get a read on it."the Israeli admitted after trying a few more times.

"Well... I might could find out who he is by looking through dental records..."Palmer meekly let out. Gibbs thought it over.

"Alright, Palmer. Here, I'll help you get him on the gurney. Tony, you and Ziva finish up here. After I help Palmer, I'm going by to get McGee and Abby. We're gonna need them."Gibbs told the make-shift team, going to the van to retrieve the gurney. He then helped Palmer and left...


	4. Chapter 3:Leads

**Where He Went**

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever own NCIS or any other show that may have a character or two show up.**

**A/N: I am going to apologize ahead of time in case my computer screws up my words. It does that sometimes. Anyway, without further adieu... I would also like to warn against possible OOCness... Though I wouldn't really call it that for Trent because we don't see him often enough to know... But just in case, that's a warning. One more thing, Corey is between three and four years old, which is why he doesn't talk exactly right.**

**Chapter Three**:**Leads**

Tony took a few more photos of the crime scene, wanting to be sure he had everything he needed. Ziva was taking the same precautions, bagging and tagging everything that she thought Abby would need. The two loaded up the stuff in the truck. "I'm driving Ziva. Gimme the keys."Tony told her, handing out his hand for the keys. She smirked and gave him a low-five.

"I am driving Tony. We will get there faster and we can get this finished faster."she explained to her coworker.

"I'm not playing Ziva. I'm driving, because unlike you, I wanna be alive when we get back to the Navy Yard."Tony continued. Ziva sighed and handed him the keys before she got in the passenger side. Tony got in after her, and started the drive back.

"Do you think McGee will be up for a case, Tony? He is hurt badly and the stress could make it worse.."Ziva worried. Tony shook his head.

"Probie's stronger than he looks, Zee-vah. He can handle himself. Besides, he's left-handed, and it was his right hand that was broke. He can still write and type and stuff. He's fine. Abby. Abby is the one I worry about."Tony told his partner. The Israeli shook her head.

"You do not worry about McGee, but you worry about Abby? Abby is a fiery young woman and is highly capable of working through a broke leg. She thrives off stress like this. McGee does not. The only thing that concerns me about Abby right now is that she will be very batty because of the broke leg."Ziva rambled. Tony shook his head.

"Ziva, it's catty, not batty. You've been in America for eight years now and you still don't know your idioms and metaphors? I'm disappointed."Tony remarked. Ziva glared at him before smirking.

"It's fine Tony... I'm sure you are not the only one who gets disappointed. Any woman who, as you say, hook up with is often disappointed in you. You are not in the best of shape."Ziva retorted. Tony glared.

"Just so you know David, I have been following Probie's lead and started working out more. Thank you very much."Ziva snickered.

"No need to get defensive, Tony... I was just whore playing."Tony sighed.

"Horse play Zi, Not whore play."he corrected her again.

"Abby, are you sure you're gonna be comfortable in the lab?"Gibbs asked her again. The goth rolled her eyes, annoyed at his babying her. She was a grown woman for Pete's sake! She did not need to be coddled, assured maybe, but never coddled.

"I'll be fine Gibbs! Trust me! I had Jimmy drop off some pillows in my lab for my leg. I'll be fine."Abby persuaded the older man. He smiled.

"Okay. But if you need me, call."he kissed her on the top of the head and went in the elevator, getting off at the bullpen. "McGee, you sure you wanna stay?"he asked the younger agent, wanting to be sure that McGee could handle the stress. McGee smiled.

"Boss, I'll be fine. I can still use my computer skills to help with the case. I don't have to have both hands for that."McGee assured his boss. Gibbs nodded.

"I just wanted to be sure you were up for it McGee."Gibbs replied, sitting in his desk. "Now, since you're so sure about staying... Look and see if there's any AWOL marines. I wanna list."Gibbs barked.

"Yes Boss! On it, Boss!"McGee started typing in the search engine, proud to be back where he belonged...

Jimmy had the marine on the table when the doors to autopsy opened. He looked up when he saw Dr. Mallard walking in slowly, a cane in one of his hands. "Dr. Mallard... Are you sure you should be here right now? You're not off the cane yet and-"

"I'm just here to observe Mr. Palmer, and perhaps give advice when needed. Nothing more."the older man sat down on in a chair, smiling. "Besides, I find it beneficial to one's health to get out of the house every once in awhile, even after tragedy. In fact, this reminds me of this man I used to work for way back when I worked on the local level of law enforcement. I worked for Baltimore Police Department for some years before I joined up with NCIS. Anyway, the man I worked for was Detective Larry Milton. A very vivacious man, full of live and fun. Got hit with a car while chasing down a dirt-bag. Crushed his ribs. But that didn't stop him from coming into the Department every day to visit with his police family."Ducky rambled on as Palmer began working on the autopsy...

Casey took a nice long drink of her Dr. Pepper. She had just gotten done going through the city seeing if anyone knew the couple and had finally caught a break. She had found their apartment owner, Glenn Higgins, and he had identified the couple. Mr. George Lamar and Mrs. Darlene Lamar. Generally good tenants, always paid rent on time, never got loud, no complaints. That was when she had called Chief Walsh and had David and the forensic team go into the apartment to look around.

The search had not really been beneficial, they had only found a phone number. The techies had tried to call the number and trace it, but no luck. The phone was off and didn't have any sort of GPS device.

"Casey, you still with us? You've been awfully quiet over there."David asked his partner. Casey looked over at Detective Martin.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just mulling over everything."Casey responded. Her phone rang. "Hello?"

"Casey, you and David need to get over here. I just finished the autopsy and you might want to see what I've found out."

"We'll be right there Tina."Casey hung up and started getting up. "C'mon, David. Autopsy. Tina found something."David got up and followed her to the elevator.

The two got there quickly, looking over the body. "We're here Tina. What is it?"David inquired. Tina picked up some x-ray photos.

"The bullet fractured his skull. He died on impact. But I found his that a majority of his ribs were broken before he died. And check this out."she said, pulling back the sheet on the man, just enough to show the bruises he had. "He was beaten before he was shot." Tina explained, then she went back to the photos. "She wasn't beaten however, she was shot point blank. The bullet tore through several muscles before it collided with the heart."

"You do know we found their names, right? Mr. and Mrs. Lamar?"Casey asked. Tina smirked.

"I pulled their dental records, and you are not gonna guess who they really are."the blonde woman teased. David looked at Casey, then at Tina.

"They're not Mr. George and Mrs. Darlene Lamar?"he asked, almost taken aback. He was still getting used to the routine and nothing like this had ever come up before.

"They're not. Not even married to each other. I never found any marriage records or wedding rings, or even photos of a wedding. The man is really Jayden Bryce and the woman is Adrian Peters."Tina informed the two detectives. Casey got wide-eyed, David just stared in disbelief.

"The same ones that got let off for robbing that bank last month? The same ones who got off on a technicality?"David asked, surprised.

"I never thought I'd see them again after they won the trial, let alone down here..."Casey said, trailing off..Tina shrugged.

"They were both thieves. Maybe they just stole from the wrong person and 'Bang!' they got shot."Tina speculated. Both detectives looked at her, shocked that she would say that about a body. She blushed slightly. "Sorry... I've never done an autopsy on felons before... I didn't think it would be inappropriate..."she tried to apologize. Casey snickered.

"It's fine T. Promise."Casey assured the other woman. Tina nodded.

"Got anything else for us?"David asked. Tina shook her head.

"Just like a man. Ask me if I got anything for him without giving me something in return. I already told you what I had. What do you know, David?"she teased. He felt his cheeks get red.

"I only know what I've been told, okay? Don't get ill."David waved her off. Casey rolled her eyes.

"Come on, David. We gotta see if we can find any leads to this. Walsh has been breathing down my neck about the case all day."

Trent began to wake up again, realizing he had fallen asleep on the couch. He felt something warm draped over him and glanced down, a little boy with curly black hair had fallen asleep in his lap. He smirked and carefully picked Corey up, going to go lay him down in his bed. Trent chanced a glance at the recliner and saw Carter and Dakota had fallen asleep on it during the movie. He chuckled, thinking of drawing on them or scaring them awake. Trent shook his head.

He wasn't going to mess with his kids, not today anyway. And that would just be cruel. Trent went up the stairs and laid Corey down in his bed, leaving a toy car on the table by the bed, a way he let his son know who moved him from downstairs. Trent went back down to the living room and took the movie out of the DVD player. Dakota had chosen this time, _Air Bud_. A movie about a basket ball playing golden retriever. He smirked as he realized the pattern of movies his kids had picked out.

The last time Carter picked, it was _Homeward Bound_. And the movie before that, Corey had picked, _The Adventures of Bailey the Lost Puppy_. He shook his head, wondering if Casey had picked up on the kids subtly asking for a dog. One thing was for sure, he would ask her. And if all went well, maybe a week after Carter's birthday, they'd have a dog.

Trent glanced at the clock. A little after twelve. He went to kitchen, deciding to start on lunch because he knew when his kids woke up, they'd be "starved" to death. He shook his head, wondering how the three of them could eat all the time...


	5. Chapter 4:Um Gibbs

**Where He Went**

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever own NCIS or any other show that may have a character or two show up.**

**A/N: I am going to apologize ahead of time in case my computer screws up my words. It does that sometimes. Anyway, without further adieu... I would also like to warn against possible OOCness... Though I wouldn't really call it that for Trent because we don't see him often enough to know... But just in case, that's a warning. One more thing, Corey is between three and four years old, which is why he doesn't talk exactly right.**

**A/N:Thank you for the reviews, follows, and faves. :) They are what make me continue writing this. And to torontogirl12: I can't tell you for sure if Trent is involved or not, otherwise there would be no fun in guessing. However, I can say it is going to be hinted at heavily and if you look closely enough, you'll know.**

**Chapter Four**:**Um... Gibbs**

Abby smiled when Tony and Ziva showed up with boxes of evidence. "Aww... Did my birthday come early this year?"the happy goth asked as she hobbled over to the agents on her crutches. Tony smiled.

"Whatever will make you happy, Abs, is the answer."Tony said, trying to be coy. Abby smirked.

"Typical man, promising everything to me just so I'm happy. I'll have you know I have more virtue than that."Abby teased. Tony chuckled.

"Hard to believe with all the tattoos and piercings, Abby."Tony replied. Abby retaliated by hitting his shoulder. He winced, Ziva chuckled.

"Okay, go, both of you. I have work to do."Abby shooed them out. Ziva turned to her.

"Do you want me to stay and help you Abby, or are you okay to be by yourself?"Ziva asked. Abby smiled.

"It's sweet that you wanna help Zi, but I don't need it. I'll be fine right here, alone."Abby convinced the assassin. Ziva nodded and followed Tony into the elevator. Abby turned to the boxes of evidence. Time to see what she was made of...

Tony and Ziva walked into the bullpen and sat down in their respective desks. Gibbs looked at the two of them. "What took you guys so long to get here?"Ziva glared.

"Tony drove."she responded, starting to look for a lead on the case.

"Hey! Going the speed limit and living is better than speeding and getting killed!"Tony exclaimed. Gibbs shook his head, smirking. He got up and started for the elevators.

"Uh... Boss... Where ya goin'?"McGee asked, still trying to find a list of AWOL Marines and Navy Officers. However, he couldn't seem to find any.

"To autopsy. Palmer has to have something by now."

Gibbs walked in to Palmer washing his hands and Ducky's rambling. "Good to see you made here okay, Duck."Gibbs told his friend. Ducky smiled.

"Good to see you too, Jethro. I hate what happened to this poor fellow however."the good doctor started to ramble.

"What happened too him Palmer?"Gibbs asked. Jimmy looked up at Gibbs.

"He was shot. Point blank in the chest. Dead instantly. There was bruising over his upper torso, which indicates that he was either in a fight or he was being tortured."the young man managed to say without stuttering. Gibbs nodded.

"Okay... Can you tell him who the heck he is?"Gibbs looked at Palmer. Jimmy smiled.

"Yes. He's Petty Officer Vernon Petroski."he answered.

"You sure? McGee hasn't found his name on anything."Gibbs asked.

"I'm sure. And McGee probably hasn't found him because according to his medical records, he was dishonorably discharged for having heroin. It's sad really, because the stuff would've killed him quickly if he wasn't stopped. Actually-"Palmer stopped and looked around. "Where did Agent Gibbs go, Dr.?"he asked Ducky.

"He left, Mr. Palmer. Right as you were getting in to how the heroin would've killed him if he wasn't shot."

Abby was looking through the evidence, but all she was finding was that he had a whole lot of heroin on him. Not something that she would ever wanna try... Well... Not again anyway... She looked through the guys clothes and found his cell phone, no, wait, scratch that. It was the guy's burn phone. Interesting.

She checked it to see if it was somehow connected to a bomb somewhere, memories of the explosion months ago resounding through her head. Abby shook her head and continued searching, effectively destroying the phone in the process. She sighed and called Gibbs. "Yes Abby?"he asked.

"Can I borrow McGee. I need him to hack into the this guy's burn phone's records. I kinda.. Destroyed the actual phone on an accident."she sounded sheepish. Gibbs sighed.

"Alright Abs. He should be there soon."

About thirty minutes later, Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva were called into Abby's lab. "What do ya got, Abs?"Gibbs asked. Abby and McGee grinned.

"Okay. This guy made several outgoing calls to one number. To the Federal Correctional Institution. And since this guy had like, a ton of drugs;that means he could have an inmate supplier."Abby said. Gibbs looked at the team.

"Or that means a guard there is supplying the inmates."Gibbs said. McGee bit his lip, Abby nudged him.

"Tell him the rest Timmy."she encouraged. McGee noticed everyone's eyes on him.

"He also had one incoming call from another burn phone. The GPS of that phone was from all the way in North Carolina. Oxford, North Carolina to be precise."McGee explained. Tony wrinkled his nose in confusion.

"Thought Oxford was in England, Boss."Tony declared.

"There's also one in North Carolina, DiNozzo. And in Alabama."Gibbs started.

"There's actually about fifteen cities and towns called Oxford in the U.S., Tony."Abby concluded. Ziva looked at McGee.

"Can we call that number? Seems like a good place to start as any."the Israeli asked. Abby looked at her.

"But what about the prison? Surely there's something good there..."Abby began to argue. Gibbs whistled loudly, getting their attention.

"Let's see whose on the other number. Then we can sort out our next move. McGee..."Gibbs looked at the younger agent.

"On it Boss.."he reacted, calling the number and putting it on speaker...

Casey and David were walking into the forensics lab, going to see about the evidence. "I don't have much for y'all yet. I haven't been able to process it completely."Dominic, the forensic tech, admitted. "However, the techies sent me the phone back, still not cooperating yet-"the phone ringing cut him off. All three glanced at each other. Dominic answered the call, putting it on speaker.

"Hello? Hello? Is anyone there?"Casey heard a familiar voice talking. Confusion nearly overwhelmed her, but it had been a while since she had heard from the man on the other line.

"Jethro? Jethro Gibbs...? Is that you? Why are you calling my dead thieves' phone?"she asked, fully aware of her partner's eyes on her, also confused.

Gibbs stopped for a second. Casey. Detective Casey Rizzo. Wait, not Rizzo. She got married in '95. To.. Trent. She left D.C and Baltimore P. D. in 2001. "Casey. Good question. But a better one is, why are you calling my dead marine's phone?"he asked. Abby smiled.

"Casey! I missed you! I mean, I know I saw you like, two months ago, but I still miss you and the kids."Abby strayed.

"Miss you too Abs. And Ducky. I really miss him. He doin' any better or..-"

"Can we get back on topic?"Gibbs asked, his impatience showing as he tried not to meet the team's questioning looks.

"Of course, Jethro."came her response. They swapped information about the cases, talking about what has been found.

"Do you think it's a coincidence that these murders happened just within hours of each other and that our victims have been in contact?"David asked the agents.

"Casey, tell your partner what I think of coincidences."Gibbs commanded. He could see her roll her eyes.

"He says they don't exist. Therefore, he doesn't believe in them."she told her partner. Gibbs noticed the look on Tony's face, asking what the plan was.

"Hey, Casey. Maybe we should work together again. On this case. Your call."was all he said. He heard her conversing softly with her coworkers.

"Okay. You guys coming here or do we have to go there?"he heard her ask.

"Me and my senior field are going there."Gibbs said.

"Stan Burley's still with you? I thought he'd have run away by now."Casey teased. Gibbs rolled his eyes.

"Not Stan Burley. The one you didn't get to meet. Anthony DiNozzo Jr."

"Him? Really? I know him. We worked together briefly in Baltimore. He kept trying to hit on me, even after I told him I was married."Casey revealed. Gibbs looked at Tony.

"That true DiNozzo?"he asked. Tony bit his lip.

"In my defense... I never saw her ring, so I thought she was lying to me.."Gibbs rolled his eyes.

"See you tomorrow Casey. About 0900 tomorrow. At the airport."Gibbs commanded, having McGee end the phone call before she could argue.

"Why are McGee and I not going?"Ziva asked first thing.

"Because, you two are going to find out who Petroski was calling in that prison, if they ever visited each other, and how the all link together."Gibbs said, leaving the lab.

Casey sighed and laid down beside her husband, snuggling close. "Wake me up about 7 tomorrow. Please."she asked Trent. He looked at her.

"Why so early?"he asked, concerned.

"The case. And I have to go pick up a couple of helpers at the airport."Casey told him, laying her head on his chest. He sighed.

"Who?"

"NCIS special agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs and agent Anthony DiNozzo..."Casey answered. Trent swore.

"DiNozzo. Is coming here? To my haven?"he swore again. Casey kissed him softly.

"Calm down. We're gonna work the case, they'll leave, you can relax again. You can relax anyway tomorrow because knowing you, you will lay low and probably take the kids somewhere out to eat in town after church tomorrow."Casey reminded him. Trent nodded.

"True... True... But I still don't like the thought of DiNozzo being around you. I know his type and I don't trust him."Casey chuckled.

"Believe me, I know. Look, it's late. I love you."she kissed him again. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight... Love you too."he kissed the top of her head and pulled her close, feeling sleepier than he did earlier...


	6. Chapter 5:Old Friends

**Where He Went**

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever own NCIS or any other show that may have a character or two show up.**

**A/N: I am going to apologize ahead of time in case my computer screws up my words. It does that sometimes. Anyway, without further adieu... I would also like to warn against possible OOCness... Though I wouldn't really call it that for Trent because we don't see him often enough to know... But just in case, that's a warning. One more thing, Corey is between three and four years old, which is why he doesn't talk exactly right.**

**A/N:Thank you for the reviews, follows, and faves. :) They are what make me continue writing this. **

**Chapter Five**:**Old Friends**

Trent woke up the next morning and looked over at the clock. 6:30 a.m. He glanced over at Casey, who was still asleep next to him. He remembered her saying Gibbs was showing up to help with the case. Trent shook his head, getting up. He knew how Gibbs worked, knew that the police squad would probably work late and eat little. Which means he was to make sure Casey actually ate breakfast.

Trent carefully got up, making sure he wouldn't wake her as he did. He made his way down into the kitchen, running through what he could cook in under twenty-five minutes.

Trent was finishing up when he heard footsteps, he smiled when he saw the little boy looking up at him. "Why is thewe food on ta tway?"Corey asked.

"It's so I can carry it up to Mommy without making a big mess. She may work late tonight, so I want to be sure she keeps her strength up."Trent explained carefully. Corey nodded.

"Otay. Can I go wiff you to see her?"he asked. Trent smiled.

"Sure thing, Little Man. Let's go."

Trent walked in the room carefully, quietly, Corey toddling beside him. "Rise and shine, Casey. Breakfast call."

"'M up. 'M up."Casey yawned, carefully sitting up. Trent smiled and sat down on the bed, setting the tray down beside his wife. She looked at it. "Breakfast in bed? Last time you made me breakfast in bed, you came back as a cyclops. What is this one costing me?"she asked. Trent scoffed.

"For the record, I didn't know I was going to lose an eye. And this costs nothing. Why can't I just bring breakfast up to my loving wife because it's a nice thing to do?"Trent asked, feigning being offended. Corey shook his head.

"We jus' want you to be otay today, Mommy."Corey defended his dad. Casey chuckled.

"Okay, okay. I believe you."she kissed the top of her son's head, then Trent. "Thank you." Trent smiled.

"You're very welcome."

Gibbs and Tony made their way off the plane, the only luggage they had was their carry-on bags. Tony spotted their "welcoming committee" first. "There they are, Boss."Tony pointed out the officers waiting on them.

"I can see them DiNozzo."Gibbs spoke, walking them over to the waiting detectives. He smiled at the familiar face. "Detective Rizzo."he greeted, Casey shook her head.

"Detective Kort, actually. Spelled K-o-r-t. You should remember that though, Jethro. You were at my wedding. You brought Diane."Casey reminded him. Tony shook his head. Kort? That would imply... No. He was dead. Tony was sure of it. Gibbs snorted.

"I would like to forget any time whatsoever I spent with _that_ thing."Gibbs growled. Casey snickered.

"Forgot that was a sore spot still.."she apologized. Tony smiled.

"Remember me, Case? I was the new guy before you left."Tony tried to charm her. She shook her head.

"I remember. I also remember telling you that if you didn't stop hitting on me, I was going to kill you."Tony smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah... I learned my lesson, trust me... So, uh... Who's your partner there?"Casey smiled.

"Detective David Martin, meet NCIS agents L. J. Gibbs and Tony DiNozzo."Casey introduced the men, observing as they all shook hands...

Ziva and McGee had finally made it to Memphis. Finally. She thought they were going to be stuck for at least another hour or so, and McGee's complaining about no internet service was about to make her go postal on someone. Possibly McGee.

After they arrived at the hotel and got everything set up, they went to the prison. Going through security, they sat down with the warden. "This man, has he ever been here to see any of your prisoners or prison guards?"Ziva asked, showing a photo of Petroski. James Keller looked carefully at the photo.

"Actually... He did visit one of the prisoners. Even came to take guy home after he was released on good behavior."James said, looking carefully at the photo. "Had a few other friends with 'em..."

"Who was the man he was visiting in here, Sir?"McGee inquired this time. The warden told both of the agents, Ziva looked at McGee.

"Should... We call Gibbs and tell him, or go there and tell him?"Ziva asked the younger agent. McGee bit his lip, thinking.

"We can call and tell him. The guy doesn't exactly scream sociopath. He might've truly reformed."McGee answered. "Besides, we don't know if he's linked to Bryce and Peters yet. It could all actually be a coincidence..."

"You know how Gibbs feels about coincidences..."

"I know, Zi... I know..."

Gibbs, Tony, and the police squad looked over everything they could when Gibbs's phone went off. He put it on speaker before answering. "Gibbs."

"Uh.. Boss... We know who Petroski was calling and visiting."McGee stammered out. Casey felt her hopes lift.

"Who?"she asked.

"Perry Sterling. He got out recently on good behavior."Ziva replied. Casey swore under her breath, remembering that was the man who had shot her husband in the shoulder back in '09.

"Think its a coincidence, Boss...?"Tony dared ask. Gibbs shook his head.

"No such thing. Ziva, McGee. Stay. See if you can find our where Sterling went and his connection to Petroski. See if he's also connected to our dead thieves."Gibbs dictated, deciding that would be the safest route at the moment.

A duet of "Yes Boss!" rang out, and they hung up. Gibbs turned to Tony. "Go."he told the younger man. Tony looked at him, confused.

"Go where?"

"To get lunch. We're gonna be here awhile. Go."Gibbs reiterated. David looked at the older man.

"Agent Gibbs. I know the area fairly well, why don't I go the lunch?"he asked. Gibbs shook his head.

"DiNozzo needs to work on his direction skills. He's gotten sloppy."he looked at Tony, telling him to go again.

"Yes Boss!"he was about to leave when Casey stopped him.

"Don't feel bad about having no sense of direction, Tony. My husband doesn't either. In fact, he got us lost on our first date."he knew she was trying to make him feel better.

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."he smiled, leaving.

Tony walked down the streets, looking for something that he figured everyone would like. That's when he saw something that made him stop dead in his tracks. A slightly short man was walking by, two kids walking beside him as he carried a third, bald, unshaven face, wore an eye-patch. Tony's mind instantly jumped to Trent.

But that couldn't honestly be Kort though... Could it..? No. Trent was dead. Tony was sure of it. But still... He found himself following them into an ice cream parlor.

"Oh no... It really is you..."Tony heard an accented voice. He smirked.

"Sorry to disappoint. Though, if it makes you feel any better Kort, I thought you were dead."Tony wised off, noting to keep the insults down because of the children.

"I can assure you, I'm alive and well."Trent deadpanned. Tony rolled his eyes.

"Whatever you say. So, who's children did you steal?"he asked, gesturing to the kids. The girl rolled her eyes.

"You _must_ be that idiot, DiNozzo. Only you could make such an accusation against my father. Pity. I thought you much stronger looking when I find out you gave my dad a black eye. Must've been dumb luck instead."she quipped. Tony gaped at her, mostly because of how she spoke with such a vocabulary for someone who looked so... Young. The other part was because she told him off. Kids loved him usually. What was different with her? Was she really Kort's daughter? Trent and the other two children snickered.

"Yes, DiNozzo. Carter is really my daughter. These two are really my sons. Believe it or not, I do have a life outside the Agency."Trent answered the questions in Tony's head.

"That scares me. You actually finding a woman who could put up with you."Tony reacted. Trent chuckled.

"You got me there. I didn't believe it at first either... But, who am I to tell a beautiful woman, 'no'?"Trent replied. He looked hard at DiNozzo. "So, what are you supposed to be doing?"he asked. Tony swore mentally.

"Getting lunch for everyone at the squad room."Tony confessed, blushing slightly. Dakota looked at him, thinking carefully if he wanted to help the man or not.

"You can't go wrong with Chinese food. There's a Chinese buffet just up the road."he finally said, pointing Tony in the right direction. Tony smiled.

"Thanks...?"he waited for a name.

"Dakota."and with that, Tony left...

He was in a corner booth, watching Mr. Kort. He watched him carefully, trying to stay hidden in the process. If he didn't have those children with him, he would've demanded Mr. Kort give him his money already. But he had enough sense not hurt kids. That was cruel, and while he was a sick man, he was not cruel... Well... Not to children.

He watched them, smiling and laughing, talking. A plan hit him. Taking the kids would force Mr. Kort to hand his money back over. But he was smart enough to know he'd have to choose just one kid. Taking all of them would just cause him trouble. More trouble than he needed. Maybe he'd just take the girl.. Yes.. The girl would do...


	7. Chapter 6:Plans in Motion

**Where He Went**

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever own NCIS or any other show that may have a character or two show up.**

**A/N: I am going to apologize ahead of time in case my computer screws up my words. It does that sometimes. Anyway, without further adieu... I would also like to warn against possible OOCness... Though I wouldn't really call it that for Trent because we don't see him often enough to know... But just in case, that's a warning. One more thing, Corey is between three and four years old, which is why he doesn't talk exactly right.**

**A/N:Thank you for the reviews, follows, and faves. :) They are what make me continue writing this. **

**Chapter Six**:**Plans In Motion**

DiNozzo walked back into the squad room, arms full of Chinese takeout bags. Gibbs turned and smirked. "Looks like you found a Chinese place here too, DiNozzo."Gibbs smirked, taking out a thing of noodles.

"Yeah, Boss. Funny thing, I ran into Trent Kort today. Did you know he had kids? Or that he was married? I find it really hard to believe that guy managed to reproduce..."Tony muttered loud enough for Gibbs to hear, but quiet enough for it to go unnoticed. Casey smirked, having overheard Tony.

"Why is that such a surprise, Tony? I rather think my husband is quite... Handsome."Casey admitted to a gaping Tony.

"You...? You actually married him?"he asked, flabbergasted. He couldn't picture them together. She rolled her eyes.

"I was pretty sure my last name would've given it all away..."Casey quipped. Tony shook his head.

"Thought it was purely a coincidence..."he retorted back. Gibbs hit the back of his head.

"What did I tell you about coincidences, DiNozzo?"Gibbs growled out. Tony yipped in surprise as Casey forced herself not to laugh.

Trent got his kids together after they finished their ice creams. Half-way out of the parlor, he stopped and looked around. Something was off. He could feel it. "Kids... Stay close to me... Okay...?"he told his kids, turning to look at them. Corey bit his lip.

"Somefhing wong, Daddy?"he asked. Trent picked up the toddler, holding him.

"No... I just have a feeling and I'd be very happy if you all stayed with me until we got home."Trent assured the younger boy, not wanting to alarm him, or the others. Carter rolled her eyes and murmured to her older-younger brother.

"That's just his way of saying his super spy sense is tingling, and trouble is about to start."she murmured. Dakota smirked, understanding what his sister meant. Trent shook his head.

"I do not have 'super spy senses', Carter. I just have bad feelings sometimes."Trent rationalized, leading them out and onto the streets.

"Suuuuure. Look, Daddy, just because you're a college professor now, doesn't mean you stopped being an Agency spy. It just means that you're no longer on duty as a spy. But you never forget what you learned there."Carter argued, making her point. Trent sighed, wondering why she was being so difficult about this now...

Ziva and McGee sat down on the couch in their motel room. The Israeli paced back and forth as the hacker tried working his magic on his laptop, trying to figure out if there was a connection between Perry and the murders. She sighed. "I think I will go and get us something to eat. It is nearly nightfall and we have only had breakfast. Any suggestions?"Ziva asked her coworker, wanting to make conversation after hours of silence. McGee thought hard.

"Maybe you could find us some Italian food? Please Zi?"he asked. She nodded and left him alone to work. McGee sighed, going back to his computer, when he found what he was looking for. A security camera of Perry talking to Bryce and Peters in D.C. He swore and called Gibbs immediately.

Gibbs phone rang, he answered. "Gibbs."he greeted the caller.

"Uh... Boss... I may have found that connection you were looking for..."McGee stammered out on the line. Gibbs sat up straighter.

"Tell me McGee."

"I'm looking over the security footage from the park in D.C. where we found Petroski. Anyway, I caught footage of Perry Sterling talking to Bryce and Peters. Looks like he paid them to do something... He handed them money, but I can't tell what they're saying..."he answered. Gibbs nodded.

"Alright... We gotta time stamp on those cameras, Elf Lord?"Gibbs asked. McGee fought a blush at the nickname.

"Yeah.. About a week before the murders..."McGee answered. Gibbs swore.

"That does it. You and Ziva drop by tomorrow. Be here by 0700. DiNozzo and I will be waiting for ya at the airport. Rest tonight though. You'll need it."Gibbs ordered.

"Okay Boss."they hung up and Gibbs looked at the others, realizing how late it was.

"We all need rest. We should go home and meet here by 0800. We can figure out a game plan then."he rationalized to the others. No one complained, grabbing their things and leaving.

Ziva returned about thirty-minutes later with garlic bread and pizza. "It was all I could find that was Italian... I'm sorry, McGee."Ziva apologized. McGee smiled.

"You tried Ziva. Besides, tonight's our last night here. Boss wants us there in North Carolina tomorrow."McGee replayed the message for her. She smiled.

"We are finally getting to be with the action McGee. It is about time. I was going peanuts away from it all."Ziva admitted. McGee bit his lip.

"Uh... Ziva... It's nuts. Just nuts. Not peanuts..."he corrected her idiom. She huffed.

"I like mine better; it is more descriptive."she retorted. He sighed, raising his hands in defeat.

"Okay, okay... Whatever makes you happy, Ziva."

Tony came out of the bathroom and sat down on the couch. "Alright Boss. I'm finished with my shower if you one."Tony told his boss. Gibbs nodded, getting up. He came back less than ten minutes later, hair damp and in his pajamas.

"Sleep, DiNozzo. You won't get to rest much tomorrow. We're going after our killer."Gibbs reminded the younger agent, going to one of the small beds in their motel room. Tony shrugged.

"I dunno Boss. Ziva and I stayed at least two nights with Perry. He seemed too harmless to kill anyone."Tony gave his input. Gibbs rolled his eyes.

"Oh really? Then why didn't he struggle to shoot Trent?"Gibbs asked. Tony smirked.

"Well, Trent's a pain in the rear. Anyone could shoot him and feel nothing. I know I could."Tony mouthed off. Gibbs smirked.

"Casey couldn't. And neither could her kids."Gibbs recalled. Tony shrugged.

"The kids are too young to understand, and Casey could if she got mad enough..."

Casey sighed, laying down beside Trent. He pulled her close, laying her head on his chest. "How's the case going?"he asked, rubbing her back. She snuggled closer, laying a hand over him.

"Okay I guess. Jethro's calling in the rest of his team, and we have a possible suspect."Casey answered him. Trent looked at her.

"Really? Who?"he asked. She bit her lip.

"Perry... Sterling..."she murmured. He swore.

"The same one who worked for 'Siravo'?"Trent asked. The brunette nodded.

"Afraid so... But we're not sure... It could still be anyone..."Casey reminded him. Trent nodded, that feeling of uneasiness returning.

"True..."he conceded, letting her have that one. Then his mind drifted to the subtle hints the children have made. "Dear... What would you say to the kids getting a dog...?"he asked, looking at her. She raised up off him, to look him in the eye.

"Well... We could use a watchdog.. Someone to guard the house... But do you really think the kids are ready for a responsibility like that?"Casey asked.

"Casey... Carter is turning thirteen this Friday, Dakota will be nine in April, and Corey will be four in August... I'm confident that they can handle a dog. But if you wanna be sure... We could ask them what it takes to keep a dog healthy and happy, to help us see if they're ready..."Trent tried to ease her into the idea. She sighed.

"Okay... But we wait until I'm done with the case to even bring it up to them. Okay?"Casey told him. Trent nodded.

"Fine by me... I'd get hoodwinked into it if you weren't present anyway.."he half-joked. Casey snickered.

"Yeah, you would. Especially if Carter looked at you with her 'cute sad eyes'. You fall for them every time."Casey reminded him. Trent scoffed.

"Not _every_ time..."he defended himself. Casey smirked and kissed his cheek.

"Whatever lets you sleep tonight, Trent. Which... You should be getting some now... You have tests to grade tomorrow... Right?"she asked. He swore.

"Yeah.."he kissed her. "Goodnight. Love you."

"Love you too. Goodnight."

He watched as the last light in Mr. Kort's house went out. He wondered if the doors were locked. Probably, Mr. Kort is CIA... More than likely that makes one paranoid. But he knew he was going to have to work fast if he was going to get what was his. But he needed the girl first. Leverage. Leverage was good. Leverage would get him what he deserved. His money.

Tomorrow. That was when he would grab the girl. But he would have to be quick. Those NCIS agents from before were there. Watching for him, no doubt. But they wouldn't dare touch him. Not if he had a kid with him. Not if it was the girl...


	8. Chapter 7:Taken

**Where He Went**

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever own NCIS or any other show that may have a character or two show up.**

**A/N: I am going to apologize ahead of time in case my computer screws up my words. It does that sometimes. Anyway, without further adieu... I would also like to warn against possible OOCness... Though I wouldn't really call it that for Trent because we don't see him often enough to know... But just in case, that's a warning. One more thing, Corey is between three and four years old, which is why he doesn't talk exactly right.**

**A/N:Thank you for the reviews, follows, and faves. :) They are what make me continue writing this.**

**Chapter Seven**:**Taken**

Tony woke up the next morning to the smell of coffee brewing. He rose up, half-asleep. "That you, Boss? The coffee smells great..."he said dreamily, trying to fully wake up. Gibbs smirked, tempted to find a way to record this for Abby. It would certainly make up for all the pranks he pulled in the past. The older man sighed, thinking that would be a horrible idea.

"Yeah DiNozzo, it's me. Coffee?"Gibbs offered, handing a mug out to the Italian. Tony took a sip, his eyes shooting open, fully awake. He winced.

"That's... That's some strong coffee Boss... We got any sweetener?"Tony asked, taking the mug. Gibbs shook his head.

" 'Fraid not DiNozzo. Didn't think to get any."he shrugged. Tony sighed, forcing the bitter coffee down his throat. He shook his head.

"So... When are we getting our probies again, Boss?"Tony asked. Gibbs looked at the clock.

"About thirty-minutes. Have them come here and unpack, then we go back to the police department to get back to work."Gibbs responded, taking a sip of his coffee, not even flinching at the bitterness...

Casey glanced at Trent and shook her head, going over to help him with his tie. He looked at her. "What was wrong with the way I had it?"he asked, earning him a playful glare.

"It wasn't even, Trent, and I am OCD about that."Casey defended her actions. Trent rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Dear."he replied as she stepped back to grab her work bag.

"Are you okay with taking the kids to school and daycare today? Our chief and Jethro have both made it clear they want this case closed, soon."Casey looked at her husband. Trent smiled.

"I can live with taking them. And don't worry, if I get lost, I know Carter and Dakota will give me the directions."Trent replied with practice. She smirked.

"Just so you remember to ask them."

Ziva and McGee got off the plane, the only luggage on them being their carry-ons. They spotted Gibbs and Tony waiting for them at the doors. "It is good to be back with the whole team, Gibbs."Ziva commented to Gibbs, smiling. Gibbs rolled his eyes.

"Come on, we've got work to do."was all Gibbs said. Tony smirked.

"And I got news for you Zee-vah. Your little CIRay didn't kill anyone in Tel Aviv..."

Back at the police station, introductions rang out as Casey and David met Ziva and McGee. Then went the searches. McGee had found Perry's cellphone number and had a GPS system waiting on him to turn it back on. Tony, Ziva, and David were sent to the east part of town; while Gibbs and Casey went west.

Gibbs showed Perry's photo around a group when someone pointed him out. "I know him. He's one of my best tenants. Is he in some kind of trouble?"the woman, Marcy Osman, asked. Casey looked at her.

"It's possible that he's involved in a series of murders. We just wanna make sure."Casey assured the woman, hoping she'd let them see his apartment. Marcy looked from Casey to Gibbs.

"It would look bad if I had a serial killer in my apartments... My building is the Cross-Woods. Here's the key to his room. Apartment 4L. But if Mr. Siravo comes in, you will not tell him about this."the woman said as she left, handing the keys to Gibbs. Casey started to lead him down to the apartments.

Casey looked at Gibbs. "He isn't original is he? Perry's still using Siravo.."she noted. Gibbs shrugged.

"Very few people are creative at making up aliases Case. You, of all people should know that."he remarked. She rolled her eyes.

"Why? Because my husband used to be CIA?"she quipped. Gibbs shook his head.

"No. Actually I was thinking of the alias you used when we first met. Remember? I almost arrested you because of it."Gibbs recalled. She chuckled.

"Trent actually helped me come up with it..."she admitted. They arrived at Perry's apartment. "Okay. Open it."Casey commanded. Gibbs looked at her.

"Why don't you open it?"he asked. She smirked.

"I would like to, but you're the one with the key. Gosh, Jethro, I thought your memory was much better than your eye-sight."Casey teased. "Oh, I'm sorry. I forget you're in your old age."Gibbs glared at her.

"And I'm still in better shape than you are."he quipped, unlocking the door. They walked in, expecting not to see much.

"This guy lives like a pig! It's so filthy here..."Casey complained. Gibbs shook his head.

"Looks a bit like DiNozzo's place used to before he got the cleaning lady..."Gibbs admitted, looking around. Casey stopped him. "What is it Casey?"he asked.

"We can't look around Jethro. Anything we find will be threw out at trial."Casey reminded him. Gibbs shook his head as he held a little packet of white powder.

"Yeah... Normally it would. But we have probable cause now. I found this on the floor."he told the detective. She nodded.

"Okay."she agreed, looking at the computer. "We should call your team here to help out with the scene..." Casey commented. She looked over and saw Gibbs was already hanging up the phone, she smirked. "Never mind then..."

Tony hung up the phone. "Ziva! Detective Martin! Boss man and Casey found out where Perry's been hiding."Tony called the other two. They walked over to Tony.

"Where, Tony?"Ziva asked, impatient. She had been door to door asking about Perry and had doors slammed on her. That left her pretty mad, and she was impatient to find the cause of it all.

"Some apartment building... Cross-Woods..."Tony told them. David smiled.

"I can lead y'all there. I know this city like the back of my hand."Detective Martin stated to the two federal agents. Ziva looked at him.

"Then please, by all means lead the way, David."she replied, knowing it would upset DiNozzo. Tony glared.

"Yeah, take us there Mr. Davy Crockett. Want a raccoon hat to wear while we're at it?"Tony taunted. David rolled his eyes.

"You are definitely the screwball here, aren't you?"David questioned Tony. Ziva chuckled.

"He is."she snickered. David shook his head and began leading the way to the building, Ziva following right beside him, Tony behind, grumbling.

The last bell rang, Carter walked over to her locker, needing to put her books up before meeting up with her brother outside. She started walking off down the empty hallway, towards the doors when she felt something grab her from behind. She struggled, feeling a cloth-like substance cover her nose. Carter held her breath as long as she could, not knowing what was on the cloth. She couldn't hold it for long though, and inhaled shakily. Her vision started blackening, she fought to get away. The person behind her pulled her closer, tightening their grip on her. Carter began sinking to the ground, unconscious.

He bent down to pick her up, being careful not to harm her. She was no good to him hurt. He carefully took her to his car, placing her upright in the passenger seat, tying her hands together discreetly. Yes. It was coming together nicely. Mr. Kort would now have to give him his money, otherwise, he'd keep the girl.

Dakota saw his dad's car pull up and got in the passenger seat, it was one of the few times he got to sit there. He noticed his dad looking at him. "Where's Carter, Koda?"his dad asked. Corey looked at the side mirror to see his older brother's face.

"Yeah, Bubba... Where's Sissy?"Corey asked, settling in his car-seat. Dakota shrugged.

"I dunno. I did overhear her talking to Momma about going to Ruby's to study... Maybe that was today..."he answered. Trent felt that uneasiness again, but thought it through. Casey did tell him Carter was going to study with a friend... But he couldn't recall what day they decided on...

"I'll call and ask your mother when we get home... It will give her enough time to get done going over whatever she could be going over right now..."Trent rationalized, driving off to their home. He was trying to think of any possibility that Carter was really okay. Nothing was wrong... But he could feel it.. Something was wrong...


	9. Chapter 8:Missing

**Where He Went**

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever own NCIS or any other show that may have a character or two show up.**

**A/N: I am going to apologize ahead of time in case my computer screws up my words. It does that sometimes. Anyway, without further adieu... I would also like to warn against possible OOCness... Though I wouldn't really call it that for Trent because we don't see him often enough to know... But just in case, that's a warning. One more thing, Corey is between three and four years old, which is why he doesn't talk exactly right.**

**A/N:Thank you for the reviews, follows, and faves. :) They are what make me continue writing this.**

**Chapter Eight**:**Missing**

Dominic called his detectives into this lab while the McGee guy called his team. The older man walked in with his group and Casey and David following. "What did you get Dom?"Casey asked the forensic tech. He smiled.

"The white powder was definitely cocaine. Strong stuff. Bad news is, that if this Perry guy is taking it, he may do anything when you find him. His prints matched the ones you brought me from the apartment and the ones on Bryce and Peters. Which is good news because we found our killer. Bad news is he has no problem killing. I sent his prints off to your Abby. To see if he's your marine's killer."Dominic rambled.

"At least _we_ know for sure."David said, turning to Casey. Casey shrugged.

"Too much unanswered, Dave."she replied. Gibbs looked at McGee.

"What did you find on his computer, McGee?"Gibbs asked. The younger agent opened up the email on the computer.

"Lots of emails to an unlisted address. But I can't understand any of the writing. Looks kinda like it's written in Russian.. Though it could be German or Polish... I'm not sure though."McGee admitted. Ziva walked over to stand behind McGee, looking at the computer screen.

"It's Polish. In the last email, Perry writes '_One nie zlapal na. Co mial JA robi? potrzebuje (chciec) moich pieniedzy._ That roughly translates into 'They haven't caught on. What should I do? I want my money.' The reply was '_Biora (przedsiebrac) co on opiekuje sie o najwiecej (najbardziej; najwieksza czesc). Uzywaja to jak srodek do osiagniecia celu. Potem wy bedziecie miec wasze pieniadze._' That translates into-"Ziva got cut off.

"Take what he cares about most. Use it as leverage. Then you shall have your money."Gibbs translated. The federal agents all turned to Casey.

"What? Why are you guys looking at me like that?"she asked, starting to feel worried.

"Perry's talking about money, which means he's still upset with Trent. And you are one of the things Trent cares about most. Leverage."Gibbs explained. Casey shook her head.

"I'm just fine Jethro, I don't need anyone watching out for me."Casey argued. Ziva looked at the date the email was sent.

"Gibbs... The last email was dated back a few days ago..."Ziva told Gibbs. The older man looked at Casey.

"We don't have long then. Perry may try something soon."

Trent walked in the house with the boys, looking around. Dakota looked at his dad. "You didn't talk to us as much as you usually do... You okay, Dad?"he asked. Trent looked at his son, trying to keep from worrying his son.

"I'm fine... I need to call your mother though... To make sure Carter was supposed to be go home with Ruby..."Dakota nodded and got out his books, going to go ahead and get his homework over with while Corey made his way to his toy cars. Trent got out his phone and called Casey.

"Kort."she greeted.

"Hey... Carter... Was she supposed to go to Ruby''s today..? She wasn't waiting for me with Dakota... I think she went with her friend.."Trent managed to say calmly, trying to keep her from worrying.

There was a long pause. "No. She wasn't going until Wednesday. Think she forgot..?"Casey asked. He could tell she was desperately wanting to believe it.

"She could have... I could call over... Just to see..."Trent tried to divert her.

"Okay... Call Ruby's mom. Then you call me back, okay?"Casey told him.

"Alright..."he hung up and dialed the Marshall's number.

"Hello?"Mrs. Marshall answered.

" 'Ello... It's Carter's father... I was wondering if she accidentally went with you today. She isn't supposed to until Wednesday..."Trent explained his situation.

"I'm sorry Trent... She didn't come with us... Do you think she's in trouble?"the woman asked, terrified for her daughter's friend. Trent swore mentally, his mind immediately going to the worst case scenario.

"I.. I don't know... I... Need to call Casey... She needs to know.."he hung up and called Casey.

"What did you find?"she asked. He sat down, fighting back his tears.

"She.. Wasn't with Ruby.. I.. I don't know where she could be..."Trent admitted. He heard her swear.

"Sterling... Perry Sterling was emailing someone about wanting his money... Agent Gibbs thinks that means he's still mad at you. The person he was emailing told him to take something valuable from you as leverage. We know Carter wouldn't just run off... What if..?"she couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. This was why she took down killers... So this wouldn't happen to her kids... But, here she was... In that position.

"I'll drop the boys off with Mrs. James. She can keep them for a little while. I'm coming to the station."Trent said, hanging up so she couldn't argue. He saw two sets of blue eyes looking at him. Corey looked close to tears.

"Where's Sissy? Is she otay?"Corey asked. Trent held him.

"I'm sure she is.. But I need to go see your mother an d see what we need to do about finding her... You two will be staying with Mrs. James... Okay?"he asked. Dakota nodded, Corey just snuggled close, not answering.

"You sure she'll be fine, Daddy..?"Dakota asked. Trent forced a smile.

"I'm sure..."

Carter opened her eyes, her vision blurry. She looked around slowly, waiting for her vision to return to normal. As it did, she realized she was sitting up. She tried to get up, but couldn't. That's when she realized she was tied back to the chair. She looked around, taking in her surroundings like her parents told her to do if she ever found herself lost. A small cabin-like place that looked like it was about to fall apart. She hoped if it ever did, she wouldn't be there.

Carter turned to her head to the side. A window! She smiled and looked out, her smile getting bigger when she saw the lake. She knew exactly where she was.

The door abruptly slammed open. A smallish man walked in, her smile faded. "Good to see you're awake. I hope you don't mind this little place, it's only temporary."he said, sitting down in the chair beside her. She tried thinking back to what her father told her to do in these situations. '_If it is just one assailant, try to make yourself seem as much like a human being as possible. It makes it harder for them to disassociate with you, which means they'll be less likely to kill you._

"Hi... It's not bad... I'm Carter. What's your name?"she asked, he got up and went to the sink to pour him some water. She saw him take something out of his pocket and swallowed it.

"Names aren't important."he said. She shook her head.

"They are if you expect a proper conversation. And I rather enjoy a proper conversation."Carter tried. He sighed, looking around.

"Perry. My name's Perry."

"That's a nice name... So... What did you want from me? I'm just a kid... There's not much I could for you, and I'm not worth much..."Carter talked down about herself. He smirked.

"That's were you're wrong. Mr. Kort will do anything to have his 'Little Princess' back. Now wouldn't he?"Perry asked. Carter tried to think of something.

"I don't think so... I'm a girl. My father favors the boys. Sons are much more important to him than me. I disappoint him because I was born before my brothers..."she tried. Perry chuckled darkly, sitting down beside her again.

"I might've believed that if we were in the Middle East. But this is America. And I know Mr. Kort loves his Princess... And I could think of several reasons why you'd be important to anyone.. You're quite lovely for one..."he admitted, playing with her hair. She tensed, hoping something would happen to make him leave.

Perry's phone rang. He swore loudly and went outside to answer it. Carter sighed in relief, praying for someone to find her...

**A/N: I apologize if my Polish was off. I used an online translator, so I'm not quite sure if it's right or not. And for such, I apologize for butchering the language if I did...**


	10. Chapter 9:Found

**Where He Went**

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever own NCIS or any other show that may have a character or two show up.**

**A/N: I am going to apologize ahead of time in case my computer screws up my words. It does that sometimes. Anyway, without further adieu... I would also like to warn against possible OOCness... Though I wouldn't really call it that for Trent because we don't see him often enough to know... But just in case, that's a warning. One more thing, Corey is between three and four years old, which is why he doesn't talk exactly right.**

**A/N:Thank you for the reviews, follows, and faves. :) They are what make me continue writing this. This chapter is pretty long, but I hope you like it. And again, I want to apologize for butchering the Polish language if I did.**

**Chapter Nine**:**Found**

Casey found her drink and took a long swig of it, trying to process the conversation she had just had with Trent. Gibbs looked at her. "What was that about Casey?"he asked, suddenly not sure if he wanted to know by the look she gave. Casey swallowed.

"Carter's missing. She wasn't waiting with Dakota for Trent and he can't find her..."her voice trailed.

"And you think Perry might have something to do with it...?"Tony finished. The detective bit her lip and nodded, her worry building with all the 'What if's '. Ziva looked back over the emails Perry had sent to the address.

"McGee... Do you think you could find out who Perry was emailing...?"Ziva asked. McGee thought it over.

"I might be able too... But I'd need Abby's help..."McGee answered her, going back to the computer to begin the process. Gibbs phone rang, looked at the caller ID and answered.

"This had better be good Abby."

"Oh. It is Gibbs. Trust me. Like, it could totally change your-our investigation."she enthused with so much energy he could picture her jumping up and down.. Well, he sort of could if she wasn't on crutches...

"Get on with it Abby."

"Right. The prints don't match the ones on Petroski. In fact, the ones found on Petroski are too disrupted for me to tell who's they are."Abby explained into Gibbs.

"Then how do you know they're not Perry's?"Gibbs asked. He could see her smiling.

"Because Gibbs, Perry has arches in his finger prints. The ones I got off the body didn't have arches. I can't say for sure what they are though... You know, this is Caf-Pow! country yet you're not here to give me one..."Abby rambled on.

"When we get back Abs, I'll give you two."he promised. He could feel her grin.

"Sweet. And tell Timmy that I got his email. But seriously, Polish? That's like, one of the more difficult languages to decipher... But since I can feel your determination from here... I will find a way to read it."Abby said before hanging up. Gibbs shook his head and took a drink from his coffee.

"Well...?"Casey asked him. He glanced up at her and could tell she was trying to think of everything other than her daughter.

"Perry didn't kill Petroski. Which means there are two killers."he answered. Tony looked at Gibbs.

"Does that mean our cases aren't really linked...?"the Italian asked, not wanting to abandon the detectives when one of their own had family in trouble.

"Actually DiNozzo... It could mean that they're linked more than ever. Which means Perry isn't acting alone."Gibbs replied, thinking.

"But who would Perry know that knows Polish?"Ziva asked, referring to the emails. Gibbs thought.

"I don't know... McGee, while you're using the thingy to decipher the email waatcha-ma call-its, see if you can find all of the people who ever came in contact with Perry in prison."Gibbs barked. Casey snickered.

"You still have no idea how technology works, do ya Jethro?"she teased. Gibbs grumbled out something incomprehensible and took another drink of coffee. The squad room doors opened.

"I would've been here sooner.. But I went to some of the places I thought she'd be..."a familiar voice called out. Casey looked up and walked over to him.

"No sign?"she asked, almost afraid to look at him directly. He hugged her.

"I wish... But none..."Trent murmured so only she could hear. She backed up enough to look up at him.

"Was Mrs. James okay with keeping the boys...?"Casey asked. He nodded.

"She didn't mind... Although she's worried about Carter too.."he admitted. She sighed. Gibbs looked at the emails.

"Perry just wants his money Kort... If you tell him you'll give it back to him, I'm sure he'll let Carter go."Gibbs told Trent. The Brit turned to face Gibbs.

"Two problems with though Gibbs. One, I don't have his money. Two, I have no idea how to contact him."Trent retorted. Gibbs didn't think much of it when he saw the look on Trent's face. He would recognize it anywhere. It was the look he had when he found out about Shannon and Kelly's murders.

Tony walked up to the smaller man and placed an awkward hand on his shoulder. "If Carter is anything like you are, Kort. She's fine. A pain in the neck, but fine. And if Perry really does have her, he'll call soon."Trent shrugged his shoulder away from Tony's hand.

"DiNozzo, let's get something straight. I don't like you. You don't like me. Let's carry on that, please."Trent reacted, walking over to Casey. Ziva looked at him.

"What about the money? I'm sure that would draw Perry out quicker."Ziva asked Trent. He shook his head, sitting down in one of the chairs.

"Can't do that. I gave the Siravo money to the Agency."Trent reminded them. Tony shrugged.

"So? Couldn't you ask the CIA to loan you back the money?"Tony asked. Trent glared at the NCIS agent.

"DiNozzo. What part of 'I've left the CIA' do you not get? I am a college professor now, the CIA will have nothing to do with me. And I like that."Trent explained. Tony bit his lip.

"Oh... Well... We could use fake money... Right...?"Tony asked. Gibbs just shook his head.

"DiNozzo... I think we should just find a game plan for this..."

Perry walked back inside the cabin. Carter forced a smile. "Hi Perry. What was that about? Are we going to do something fun?"she asked, trying to show enthusiasm. Perry looked at her.

"I have a friend who's on his way here... Me and him are gonna make some plans and then we'll see what we'll do about you."Perry explained.

"What do you mean by that? Don't you need me?"she asked, pouting. "I liked being needed..."she complained. Perry sighed.

"It's nothing personal.. It's just-"he was cut off by the door opening. They both turned towards the door to see who came in. A disfigured man with an eye-patch walked in.

"Don't let the little girl talk you out of or into anything, Mr. Sterling. She is as manipulative as her father, and should not be trusted."he stated. Carter noted his accent was thick, but couldn't place it. Russian maybe... German?

Perry shook his head. "She has no hold on me whatsoever. I was just talking to her."Perry stated. Carter looked at the man.

"Don't worry about me, Mister. I'm only a child. I can't do much... What's your name? I'm Carter. Where are you from? You have a very thick accent. Are you Russian?"she asked, playing the part of an over-zealous child. She smiled. The man shook his head.

"Your father did not teach you discipline. Which could make this difficult for you, because if you don't start acting disciplined, I will teach it to you."he threatened. Carter took a deep breath, trying not to show her discomfort.

"But you never answered my question... I'm curious."she tried. He turned back to her, and without second thought, the back of his hand collided with the side of her face. She gasped, wanting to rub out the sting, but couldn't as her hands were still tied.

"You should have stopped while you were a head, little girl. I know those tricks, the humanizing yourself. I taught your father those tricks. Everything he knows, I taught. And I can see he taught you. But not well. You lack discipline. I feel disappointed for you. However, if you ever attempt to try something like that on me again, I will do more than hit you. Are we understood?"he asked.

Carter nodded, keeping her gaze away from him so he couldn't see the tears. She wasn't going to give him any satisfaction. Perry jumped up and went over to her, looking at the man. "Why did you hit her?! If Mr. Kort finds out, he may not pay for her. He might kill us instead."Perry voiced. The man shook his head.

"I would not count on that. Trenton would not do anything that will risk the girl's life. And he certainly would not torture you over it. He despises torturing others. I found that out when he and I went to Afghanistan. I helped weed out spies by tormenting anyone who waked in to the refugee camp. I had him assist me. He kept asking if he had to do it, and I made him. That was when I knew he would be a disappointment to me."the man alleviated Perry's fears.

Perry nodded. "Okay.. So what are we gonna do...?"the younger man asked. The man turned to Carter.

"Let's step outside, I do not want her listening in."he lead Perry outside, smirking. Carter bit her lip, wishing she was close enough to the door to overhear their conversation. Anything to help them find her.

Everyone in the squad room was throwing out ideas left and right when Trent's phone rang. He looked at the ID and put it one speaker, nodding to Gibbs and McGee. McGee started up some recording device he had.

" 'Ello...? Perry..?"he greeted, trying to make himself stay calm. The voice on the other line took a deep breath.

"Hello Mr. Kort. I'm gonna cut to the chase. I want all my money delivered to me at the airport in two hours. And it has to be you, alone, delivering it. In return, you get your little Princess back."Perry didn't miss a beat. Trent mulled it over.

"I wanna talk to Carter to be sure she's okay, otherwise, I will not make a deal."Trent stated, feeling his tolerance for the man on the phone leaving him.

"Why? Don't you want her back?"Perry asked. Trent had to bite his tongue from saying the first thing that popped in his head.

"I do want my daughter back, but if I don't get to speak with her, how do I know she's alright?"Trent tried again. He heard shifting around.

"Daddy...?"he sighed in relief when he heard his daughter's voice.

" 'Ello, Baby Girl... How are you..?"Trent asked. There was a slight pause.

"I'm fine Daddy. Really. I'm fine, right guys? Anyway, I was thinking of taking those swim classes this summer with Melissa. Seems like it would be fun. Oh, and I really need to spend the night with Ruby Wednesday. We're reading on the Gulf War. I find it very interesting, but Ruby seems to know more about it than I do. I'm hoping she will help me with the Gulf War project we need to do.."Carter rambled. Trent sighed.

"We'll see..."then he heard something in the background. The phone's position changed.

"You have two hours Mr. Kort. I will be waiting."click. Trent looked at McGee.

"Could you get a location?"he asked the hacker. McGee shook his head.

"Must've used a burn phone. Carter wasn't too helpful either..."McGee said. Trent stopped, thinking of the conversation he just had with his daughter.

"Actually.. She really helped us out... She mentioned swimming and gulfs. Things that deal with water..."Trent trailed. McGee's face lit up as he began typing.

"Water... That could mean their near water... "McGee began. Tony shrugged.

"Sounds more like normal kid stuff..."Tony doubted, not wanting Trent and Casey to get their hopes up. Trent and Casey shared a look.

"The lake... That's the only place I could think of nearby that they could be..."Casey started. Trent grabbed his coat.

"I'll get a head star-"he didn't get to finish as Gibbs stepped in front of him.

"You need to sit down. You're not going there."Gibbs told him. Trent looked the older man in the eyes.

"Would you be saying that if it was Kelly? Gibbs, I'm not going to sit back when I know where my daughter is."Trent expressed. Gibbs winced slightly and the Brit felt bad, knowing he struck a nerve. But if Perry hurt Carter, he wouldn't be able to live with himself.

"Trent. I have an idea. But it only works if you're the one who delivers the money."Gibbs reasoned with the Brit. Trent sighed.

"Alright... What's the plan...?"

Carter watched as Perry and the man started to leave. "Hey! What about me?! Don't you need me?"she asked, wanting to know if the plans changed. The man smirked.

"I am going back to my home and Mr. Sterling is going to get his money. You, however, do not fit into our plans. But never fear dziecko, you'll be fine. Surely someone will discover you before Wednesday."the man told her. She felt her fear rising, but forced herself not to show it.

"Why by then?"she asked. Perry bit his lip.

"Because the human body can only last so long with out water... And by Wednesday, if you're not found... You could die.. But I'm sure you'll be found before then."Perry smiled and they left. Carter felt panicky, trying to find away to untie herself. Her mind whirled through idea after idea, trying to find a way to get out.

Trent sat down on a bench outside the airport, sitting the briefcase beside him. He felt a presence sit down beside him. "Mr. Kort, I'm glad you decided to show up."he heard Perry's voice say. Trent tensed.

"Where is Carter?"he asked, trying to stay civil. Perry didn't answer for a long time.

"Funny thing there... She's still where I left her. And after we make our little... Transaction... I will give you her location."Perry said.

"Don't fall for it, Kort. He's baiting you."Gibbs said into Trent's earpiece. Trent swallowed, contemplating choking Perry out.

"Fine. Fine. Here's your blood money."Trent handed Perry the briefcase. The other man smiled and took the case from him.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you Mr. Kort. Your daughter is at that little cabin near the lake. Have a good night..."Perry got up and walked into the airport. Trent overhead Gibbs tell DiNozzo where Perry was.

"I've got him, Boss. Don't worry."Tony told the older man, going towards Perry. He nodded across the room to David, who by then was also going towards Perry. Tony and David grabbed his wrists. "Hey, Perry. Remember me?"Tony asked. Perry smiled weakly.

"Tony. Hi. I see you have a new friend..."he tried. David smirked.

"Yeah. Detective David Martin. And you are under arrest."David began to mirandize him. Tony smirked, leading them out of the building..

Ziva walked into the cabin, being careful not to alarm the girl. "Who's there?!"Ziva turned to see Carter sitting in a chair.

"Relax. My name is Ziva David. I work for NCIS. I was sent to come find you..."Ziva explained, showing the girl her credentials. Carter sighed in relief.

"Finally... I'm ready to go home. A little help..?"Carter asked, referring to her hands being tied. Ziva walked around and untied the girl, noticing the beginning of a bruise on her face.

"Carter... What happened...?"Ziva asked, gesturing to the bruise. Carter bit her lip.

"I got hit... By the other man..."she explained, looking away from the Israeli. Ziva looked at her, confused.

"What other man? We've got Sterling... What other man?"she asked. Carter looked at her.

"You didn't get him?! He's still out there? No..."Carter took deep breaths. "The other man I tried to warn you all about.. I distinctly recall saying 'guys' in my phone call. Did none of you catch that?"she asked. Ziva looked at the girl.

"We were all more concerned about you. Your father seemed as though he was going to kill someone when he walked into the station."Ziva told her, feeling as though she needed to keep her calm. Carter bit her lip.

"The other man said he was going to go home... He was about medium height.. Brutish looking. What hair he had was grayed... He walked with a slight limp and had an eye-patch over his left eye. Had a very thick accent that I think was either German or Russian."Carter described the man quickly. She then added, "He's the one who hit me..."Ziva nodded.

"I will tell the others after we get you to the station... Your family is worried..."

The doors to the station opened, Ziva smiled. "Hey Kort, Casey. I have someone here who is anxious to see you."the Israeli motioned for them, stepping away from the door to reveal Carter was with her. The girl ran and hugged her parents closely.

"I'm glad you're okay."Trent told her, holding her close to him, kissing the top of her head.

"I am too... Carter... What happened...?"Casey asked, gesturing to her daughter's bruising face. Trent tensed.

"I swear, if Perry did that, I'm going to kill him."Trent seethed. He had been waiting for an excuse to hit the man for awhile now. Carter kissed his cheek.

"Daddy, Perry didn't hit me. It was the other man..."Carter explained. Then when they gave her the look Ziva did, she quickly described him again. Trent paled.

"That sounds a lot like Marcin Jerek..."he told Gibbs. Gibbs nodded, Tony looked confused.

"Can't be though... The Afghani people arrested him and took him away... Right..?"Tony reminded the team.

"You can escape prison DiNozzo..."Gibbs told his agent. Trent looked at Gibbs.

"Ask Perry before you leave. Then call me when you find Marcin. Let me know why."was all Trent requested before he and his family began to leave. Tony looked at Gibbs.

"You gonna let him talk to you that way?"he asked. Gibbs looked at him.

"DiNozzo, give him a break. He just went through something I wouldn't ask my worst enemy to do. Let him be.."Gibbs answered, going into the interrogation room. "Perry... You and I are gonna have a chat. You can call a lawyer if you like. But I'm still gonna talk. Then we'll be off to D.C."Gibbs told Perry. Perry shook his head.

"No lawyer... I'll talk if I can get a deal."Perry pleaded. Gibbs shrugged.

"I'll see what I can do.. Now, speak. Start from after you got out of prison to why you came here."Gibbs commanded.

Perry took a deep breath. "I got out and went to my old home. I saw this guy waiting on me there... He told me his name, Marcin Jerek, and told me we would be in touch. Well, a few weeks later he began emailing me, telling me where I could find Mr. Kort and my money. He told me not to worry and that he would make a few distractions to keep me from being discovered too soon. Jerek gave me the names of two people who could help me after I moved here. But the catch was, after they lost their usefulness, I had to kill them. No big deal.. But I had no idea how to draw out Mr. Kort. So I asked Jerek. And that was when I got the idea for taking the kids... And then I wound up here."Perry paraphrased.

Gibbs nodded. "Thanks. Wait... Did Marcin specify what he did to make a distraction..?"Gibbs asked. Perry looked at him.

"He said something about my ex-supplier."

"All I needed to know..."and with that, Gibbs left, dialing his phone to call Vance with a heads-up.

Trent woke up and checked the clock. It was a little after midnight, but he needed to get up, had to check on the kids. He carefully rose up out of the bed, kissing Casey's cheek as he left. He peeked into Corey's room and smiled when he saw the toddler was still curled up asleep next to his stuffed elephant. Trent walked in Dakota's next. He felt relief seeing his oldest son still asleep. He walked by Carter's room, going to go inside when he could saw the light from downstairs.

He cautiously went downstairs, he looked up and saw Carter was sitting on the couch, her face tear-stained. She saw him. "H-hey... Daddy... W-what are you doing up..?"she asked, sniffling. Trent sat down beside her.

"I could ask you the same thing. Especially since you have school tomorrow."Trent answered, handing her one of the tissues from the coffee table. She took it carefully and blew her nose.

"I... Couldn't sleep... I kept seeing... Them... I.."she couldn't bring herself to say the rest. Trent pulled her close to him, giving a small smile when she snuggled closer, holding onto him.

"I understand Carter... After my first operation with the CIA, I kept thinking someone was out to kill me when I tried to fall asleep... And now I sleep well.. Until my kids get hurt."he gestured the bruise. She laid her head down on his shoulder.

"Will... Will you stay here with me tonight Daddy...? Please? I don't wanna be by myself..."Carter asked, snuggling into him.

"Of course, Baby Girl... Just raise up for a minute."he requested. Carter nodded and raised off him. He got one of the throw pillows and laid his head down on it, pulling Carter to lay down on him. She snuggled closer, kissing his cheek.

"Thank-you Daddy.."Carter smiled weakly. Trent kissed the top of her head.

"You're welcome. Now sleep... You need to rest. Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you."Trent promised, holding her close. She nodded, a few minutes later she was sound asleep, and so was he...


	11. Epilogue

**Where He Went**

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever own NCIS or any other show that may have a character or two show up.**

**A/N: I am going to apologize ahead of time in case my computer screws up my words. It does that sometimes. Anyway, without further adieu... I would also like to warn against possible OOCness... Though I wouldn't really call it that for Trent because we don't see him often enough to know... But just in case, that's a warning. One more thing, Corey is between three and four years old, which is why he doesn't talk exactly right.**

**A/N:Thank you for the reviews, follows, and faves. :) **

**Epilogue:The End?**

Gibbs sat in his basement, sanding the boat. After coming back to D.C. that Tuesday, he, Ziva, and DiNozzo found Marcin Jerek in his home in Virginia. The old man confessed on the spot, stating he only wanted to test what his "protege" remembered from his CIA days. Vance had given the team time off afterward, stating that they needed the rest after a hard case like that.

He heard his front door open and footsteps heading into the basement. "Boss... You know... Abby's hosting a movie night tonight... Says it'd be a good way to start off a weekend."Tony told his boss. Gibbs turned to his senior field agent.

"I'll be there... Tell Abby that I'll supply the drinks."Gibbs answered, going back to sanding his boat. Tony looked at it.

"You ever miss Dr. Ryan, Boss?"the Italian wondered. Gibbs rolled his eyes.

"No DiNozzo. I don't. I'm just making this boat that has her name on it for fun."Gibbs quipped sarcastically. Tony sighed.

"Stupid question... My bad."Tony recanted, trying to avoid apologizing. Gibbs looked at Tony.

"You still here? I figured you'd be half-way out the door to collect all the movies you wanted to see tonight."Gibbs commented. Tony shrugged.

"Abby said the limit was two movie brought per person. And I already had mine picked out. _The Fugitive_ and _It's A Wonderful Life_. What movies are you gonna bring, Boss?"he asked. Gibbs shrugged.

"Probably none. I don't watch many movies, DiNozzo..."he went back to sanding the boat. Tony nodded.

"I guess I'll see you tonight.."Tony said, starting up the stairs. Gibbs sighed, going back to sanding.

Carter had just opened up her last gift, one from her friend Melissa, a book she had been wanting for so long. She smiled, her and friends getting up to go upstairs, thinking that the presents were done. "Wait. Carter. You have one more gift. It's from me and your dad, but the catch is, its for you and your brothers to share responsibility for."Casey got her daughter's attention.

"What is it?"Carter asked, her interest piqued. Casey gave Trent a look and he handed Carter a photo. The photo was of a puppy with the name "Benji" written on top. She looked at her parents, slightly confused. Trent smiled.

"We're getting Benji the puppy next week. Right after he gets all his shots and we get things for him to live here."he explained. Carter grinned.

"Really?! Did you hear that boys? We're finally getting our dog!"she exclaimed. Dakota smiled and hugged Casey, then Trent.

"Thanks Mom and Dad!"Dakota exclaimed. Corey smiled.

"Yay! Puppy!"he smiled, holding his arms out to be picked up. Trent bent down and picked up his youngest child, holding him, smiling. Carter hugged her father and her mother.

"Thank you. Thank you. We've been wanting one for soo long..."Carter told them. She smiled and looked at Ruby and Melissa. "Come on. I've got movies and popcorn in my room. Lets go."the girls went up stairs.

Trent smiled and held Casey close to him. "Now I can officially say I am living the 'American' dream. I have a nice little family, nice house, and now I'm going to have a dog."he smiled. Casey snickered.

"Actually _all_ of us are living the dream. Not just you. Sorry to burst your bubble."Casey smirked. Trent shook his head and kissed her.

"Spoil sport."he murmured, keeping her close. She relaxed into him, smirking.

"Sorry Dear."

Gibbs walked into Abby's apartment at about 01900, several two liter drinks in his hands. Tony went over to assist the older man, taking some of the drinks. Abby grinned. "Gibbs! You're actually here! You usually never come to these things."Abby hobbled over to hug him. He hugged her back, smiling.

"Can't really say 'no' to you though Abs."Gibbs reminded her. Ducky smiled.

"Take a seat Jethro, we're about to start the movie."Ducky greeted his long time friend. Gibbs nodded, sitting down beside Ziva and Abby. Ducky went over to Jimmy Palmer and sat by him. Tony got in between Ziva and McGee. Gibbs looked around.

"What movie did you guys pick?"he inquired, still looking at the team. Palmer smiled.

"The one I brought. _The Avengers_. It's based off the Marvel Superheroes... This one features Captain America, The Hulk, Hawk-eye, Black Widow, Thor, and Iron-Man."Palmer rambled. Tony smirked.

"I think you'll like Black Widow, Boss. She's a redhead."Tony growled playfully. Gibbs head-slapped the Italian. "Ow."

"Someone start the movie. Preferably before he starts back up."Gibbs asked. Ziva smirked.

"But Gibbs, he was only teasing."she defended Tony. Gibbs turned to her.

"Then next time it will only be his badge."Gibbs quipped. McGee found the remote.

"Okay... Before anything else happens-"he turned on the DVD and the movie began to play.

Trent laid down on the bed, pulling Casey close to him. She turned to face him and smirked. "You shaved?"she asked, smirking. Trent smiled sheepishly.

"Carter said I was beginning to hurt her when I kissed her cheek. Told me it was high time I shaved."he admitted. Casey shook her head.

"But I liked the scruff..."she pouted. He kissed her softly.

"It'll grow back... You know that."Trent reasoned, keeping her close. Casey shrugged.

"I guess that's the second bright side to this;the first being that I love how your after shave smells."Casey smirked and kissed his cheek. He chuckled.

"We might wanna sleep some. Tomorrow we not only have our children to deal with, but two more teenage girls.. And they can be mean..."Trent pouted, rubbing his hand down her arms. Casey smirked.

"This coming from you? Wow."she quipped. He just pulled her closer, nuzzling her. She sighed and relaxed. "I thought we just established we had kids not our own over. Not the best time to do anything like that..."her voice trailed. Trent sighed.

"Fine.. Fine.. Goodnight. I love you."he kissed her cheek. She smiled.

"Love you too. 'Night."


End file.
